Detection of lead in environmental objects and biologic materials during monitoring]

The authors specified methods to detect lead in biologic materials. The quality control covered use of Russian and foreign standard samples, the results proved to agree. Lead was detected by AAS technique (direct and flow-type variants with preliminary concentration of lead) and ELRA method. The authors determined measurement limits sufficient for analysis of complex biologic materials. The measurement range for lead varied from 0.002 mg/kg (plants) to 3,000 mg/kg (soil); the range of serum lead levels was < 0.5-39 mg/dl.     

Crystal modulus of a new semiaromatic polyamide 9‐T

The elastic modulus (E_l) of crystalline regions in the direction parallel to the chain axis in a new semiaromatic polyamide 9‐T (PA9‐T) containing a long aliphatic chain unit was measured by X‐ray diffraction and the derived E_l value was discussed in terms of its molecular conformation and mechanical properties. For low and high molecular weight PA9‐Ts, the E_l value of 40 GPa was obtained. The low E_l value for PA9‐T is due to the presence of aromatic groups with long crankshaft arms, which result in a greater moment of force during deformation compared with those polymers with planner zigzag molecular conformation like polyethylene and nylon 6 α‐form. Another factor for the low E_l is due to the contraction of its molecular chains that is likely originated from the existence of a torsional conformation. The presence of contraction causes some internal rotation in the polymer chain during extensional deformation, which results in low E_l. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Drilling of microholes down to 10 μm in diameter using ultrasonic grinding

Drilling by grinding is useful for fabricating holes in hard and brittle materials with high dimensional accuracy and low machining cost. However, its application to microholes has been limited to those with a diameter on the submillimeter order. The drilling of microholes less than 0.1 mm in diameter by grinding was therefore attempted on crown glass. Cemented tungsten carbide micropins were fabricated by electrical discharge machining and used as micro-grinding tools. They can be employed because the convex parts of discharge craters formed on the tool surfaces serve as cutting edges of abrasive grains of grinding wheels. In order to reduce grinding force and thus prevent tool breakage, ultrasonic grinding was employed with the workpieces ultrasonically oscillated. As a result, microholes down to 10 μm in diameter were successfully drilled. They are the smallest-diameter holes drilled by grinding, to the best of our knowledge. The effect of helical feeding, in which the tool not only rotates around its axis but also moves in planetary motion, on drilling properties was also investigated.     

TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibril/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite drawn fibers

PVA/TOCN composite fiber with a weight ratio of 100:1 was prepared from a mixture of aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxy radical (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibril (TOCN) dispersion using spinning, drawing, and drying processes. The as-spun PVA/TOCN composite fiber was further drawn, up to a draw ratio of 20 by heating at up to 230 °C. The maximum tensile modulus of the PVA/TOCN composite drawn fiber reached 57 GPa, remarkably higher than that of commercial PVA drawn fibers. Moreover, the PVA/TOCN composite drawn fiber had storage modulus higher than that of the PVA drawn fiber at each temperature in the range from 28 to 239 °C. Structural analyses showed that amorphous PVA regions in the composite drawn fiber were more oriented than those in neat PVA fiber after the addition of the small amount of TOCN used. These results indicate that TOCN elements were individually dispersed in the PVA matrix without aggregation and formed hydrogen bonds with amorphous PVA molecules in the composite drawn fiber.     

Abnormally high levels of cystatin S in submandibular glands, saliva, and gingiva of plaque-resistant rats

To identify salivary biomarkers of periodontal diseases, we used plaque-resistant and -susceptible rats as animal models. The levels of salivary cystatin S in saliva, salivary glands, and gingiva were tested in Nembutal-anesthetized young and adult plaque-resistant and -susceptible rats of both sexes with and without chronic treatment with isoproterenol. Isoproterenol was injected i.p. once a day for 4 or 6 consecutive days. Isoelectric focusing electrophoresis by the PhastSystem and the western blotting method were used to separate different proteins and to identify a salivary cystatin S band in these samples. The expression of salivary cystatin S mRNA was also determined by the northern blotting method. Depending upon the types of agonists, a few differences were observed in secretory functions between both strains of rats in both sexes, but the levels of salivary cystatin S in saliva elicited from the submandibular gland and in the extracts of the submandibular glands and gingiva were significantly higher in plaque-resistant rats when compared with those of plaque-susceptible rats in both sexes. However, no significant difference was seen between the strains after chronic treatment with isoproterenol. The N-terminal 26-amino-acid sequence of salivary cystatin S purified from submandibular saliva of plaque-resistant rats was identical with that purified from submandibular saliva of Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to chronic treatment with isoproterenol. The expression of salivary cystatin S mRNA was dramatic in the submandibular glands of the plaque-resistant rats and in the submandibular glands of Wistar rats subjected to chronic treatment with isoproterenol, but not in those of plaque-susceptible rats. These results suggest that salivary cystatin S might be a good biomarker in distinguishing between the two strains of rats and that its concentration is correlated with plaque resistance.     

CP/MAS C NMR analysis of the structure and hydrogen bonding of melt-crystallized poly(vinyl alcohol) films

The structure and hydrogen bonding of the melt-crystallized atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) (A-PVA) films, which were carefully prepared without significant thermal degradation, have been characterized by CP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The ¹³C spin-lattice relaxation analysis has revealed that there exist three components with different T_1C values, the crystalline, less mobile noncrystalline and mobile noncrystalline components, in good accord with the results for different PVA samples previously reported. It should be noted that the T_1C values of the crystalline and noncrystalline components are appreciably smaller for the melt-crystallized films than those for the un-annealed and annealed samples prepared by casting from the aqueous solution. The ¹³C NMR spectra of the crystalline and noncrystalline components are separately recorded by using the difference in T_1C and their CH lines are successfully resolved into three and seven constituent lines by the least-squares curve fitting, respectively. Moreover, the statistical analysis of the integrated intensities of the constituent lines thus obtained enables to determine the probability f_a for the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the successive two OH groups along each chain and another probability f_t of the trans conformation for the crystalline and noncrystalline components. It is found that the f_a value is relatively larger for the melt-crystallized films than those for the un-annealed and annealed samples. On the basis of these results, the features of the melt-crystallization and the resulting crystalline-noncrystalline structure are discussed by particularly considering effects of intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding on the crystallization.     

Electrical characteristics of0°/±45°/90°-orientation CMOSFET with source/drainfabricated by various ion-implantation methods

Electrical characteristics of 0°/±45°/90°-orientation 0.5-μm CMOSFETs with source/drain regions fabricated by three ion-implantation methods are discussed. For asymmetrical one-sided 7°-implantation method, large-device-orientation dependent fluctuation and asymmetry were observed in (saturation drain current I_D and maximum substrate current I_B of both n- and p-MOSFETs/threshold voltage V_T of p-MOSFETs) and (I_D of n-MOSFETs/I _B of both n- and p-MOSFETs), respectively. Almost comparable characteristics were obtained for n-MOSFETs fabricated by symmetrical 0°-implantation and 7°×4-implantation methods. However, I _D difference in p-MOSFETs between 0°/90°- and ±45°-orientation devices, which may be affected by intraplanar anisotropy of hole drift velocity, was observed independently of the ion-implantation method     

Increase in the Efficiency of Use of Furnace Residual Fuel Oil

Each year domestic industry refines more than 170 million tons of crude oil with an average degree of refining of 71%. Approximately 50 million tons of furnace residual fuel oil is produced. This residual fuel oil is used as boiler fuel, except for a small amount which is exported (8–10 million tons in 2001), including approximately 13% burned directly at the refinery and the remainder burned in thermoelectric plants and boiler plants.